Principal Research Fellow/Professorial Research Fellow - Industry Safety and Health

• Sustainable Minerals Institute
• Join a university ranked in the world’s top 50
• Based at St Lucia location
• Academic Level D or E

About UQ

What started as Queensland's first university in 1909, with just three faculties and 83 students, has grown into university ranked in the world’s top 50 that is renowned for being a leader in teaching and research.

When you join the University of Queensland, you’re joining a community that actively strives toward creating change right across the world every day. From science and sustainability to health and humanities, our researchers are finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. Our award-winning teachers are recognised for empowering our students to thrive as innovative thinkers and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

Even after 100 years of history and excellence, we haven’t forgotten that UQ was founded by – and for – the people of Queensland. In 2022, we launched the Queensland commitment as part of our belief that education and opportunity should be available for all Queenslanders by breaking down personal, financial and geographical barriers. It’s this commitment that re-emphasises that UQ is a place for everybody: no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what challenges you’ve faced, you can pursue your ambitions at UQ.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About The School

The Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) multidisciplinary team focuses on creating safer, healthier, and more rewarding workplaces for all involved in or impacted by high-risk work.

MISHC works across most high-risk industries and collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver:

• Innovative, useful and impactful evidence-based research
• Professional development programs grounded in the latest research and best practices
• Specialised, high quality consulting services and advice by internationally renowned experts

We Focus On

• Advancing operational risk and control management
• Enhancing workplace safety and health
• Progressing effective human factors approaches.
• Leveraging advanced data analytics

More information can be found at https://smi.uq.edu.au/mishc

About This Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity for a Professorial Research Fellow to work within the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) to engage in research that sustains their reputation for outstanding research and international leadership in resource industry health and safety, principal hazard management and incident response research. At this level the incumbent will make outstanding contributions in service and engagement roles and activities.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Research
• Conduct and develop research into areas of occupational health and safety in major hazardous industries such as mining and mineral processing including:
• • Emergency response and management
  • Fire and explosions
  • Spontaneous combustion of coal
  • Occupational Health including fatigue, respirable dust, noise and psychosocial risk
  • Principal (Major) Hazard management including critical controls
  • Collection and analysis of health and safety statistics to identify trends and underlying causes
  • Effective Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
  • Other relevant areas of OHS would be considered
• Maintain a record of outstanding contributions to the field and producing quality research outputs as well as initiating and leading funding initiatives.
• Teaching
• Where undergraduate and postgraduate teaching is undertaken and when professional develop courses are delivered direct to industry professions it is expected that teaching quality is high as indicated by approved surveys and outcomes for students.
• Supervision and Researcher Development
• Lead a research team, drive individual/team commitment in the pursuit of results and mentor more junior academics and researchers.
• Act as Principal Supervisor to Higher Degree by Research students.
• Demonstrate effectiveness in the development of researcher capability and skill.
• Lead the facilitation of engagement opportunities for supervisees
• Citizenship and Service
• Consistently demonstrate and provide senior leadership to others in relation to behaviours that align to the UQ values.
• Make outstanding contributions to the improvement and governance of the organisational unit, including displaying leadership behaviours.
• Shows leadership of self and others through mentoring, collaboration and a responsibility for staff wellbeing.
• Other

Duties

Ensure you are aware of and comply with legislation and University policy relevant to the duties undertaken, including but not exclusive to:

• The University’s Code of Conduct.
• Requirements of the Queensland occupational health and safety (OH&S) legislation and related OH&S responsibilities and procedures developed by the University or Institute/School.

About You

• Completion of a PhD in the discipline area.
• A sustained record of outstanding impact and achievement in research in the disciplinary area.
• International recognition in the area of expertise and an excellent record of publications in reputed refereed journal and presenting at conferences.
• Ability to successfully lead a research team, with an excellent record of successfully seeking, obtaining and managing significant external research funding from institutional and commercial sources.
• An extensive record of supervision of Honours and Research Higher Degree students to successful completion.
• A strong record of meaningful internal service roles in conjunction with evidence of leadership in external activities.
• Well-developed communication, interpersonal and consultative skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from a multidisciplinary background.

In Addition To The Above, Level E Will Have

• A sustained record of outstanding outcomes and contributions to research training and research policy at a national and international level.
• International recognition for leadership in research in the area of expertise with an outstanding record of publications in reputed refereed journals and presenting at conferences.
• Ability to lead strategic research agendas and research teams, with an outstanding record of successfully seeking, obtaining and managing significant external research funding from institutional and commercial sources.
• An excellent record of supervision of honours and Research Higher Degree students to successful completion.
• An outstanding record of meaningful internal leadership roles in conjunction with a high level of leadership in external activities at a national and international level.

Want to Apply? 

If you’d like to have a confidential discussion, please contact Professor Maureen Hassall via m.hassall1@uq.edu.au. For a copy of the full position description, contact Lachlan Inch, Principal Advisor, Talent Acquisition via talent@uq.edu.au. As part of the internal UQ community, we’re genuinely committed to finding an exceptional leader we’ll continue to work with longer-term, so we’ll ensure we also support you throughout the recruitment process.

When You’re Ready To Submit An Application, We Ask That You Please Create a Profile Via Our Careers Website And Upload The Following Documents

• Resume
• Cover letter providing a highlight of your experience and key achievements
• A brief vision statement relating to the purpose and/or expectations of the role

Other Information

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion. We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in our broader community, whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or people with a disability. Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to talent@uq.edu.au

Relocating from interstate or overseas? We’ll support you with the visa sponsorship process and a relocation support package. You can find out more about life in Australia’s Sunshine State here.

Applications close Sunday February 1 at 11.00pm AEST (R-58803).